As the world's energy demands increase and energy production from non-renewable sources becomes more expensive, difficult, and harmful to the environment, the desire to capture energy from the sun has correspondingly increased.
Photobioreactors employing sunlight have been described for the production of biofuels from microorganisms. Suitable microorganisms, typically, phototrophic microorganisms, are grown or propagated in these photobioreactors using solar energy for the production of biomass or the production of specific compounds. Growth of phototrophic microorganisms and production of specific compounds, for example, ethanol, using phototrophic microorganisms is temperature dependent. Further, heat mitigation problems, for example, caused by exposure of a culture of phototrophic microorganisms to infrared radiation leading to elevated temperatures that are not optimal, are common, and active temperature control requires a significant amount of energy that reduces the net energy generating capability.
There is, therefore, a need for systems, apparatuses and methods that allow temperature control in a cost effective manner, reducing the energy required for temperature control of a culture medium containing phototrophic microorganisms in a photobioreactor.